JAKARTA — Pope Francis urged Indonesia to live up to its promise of “harmony in diversity” and fight religious intolerance on Wednesday, as he set a rigorous pace for an 11-day, four-nation trip through tropical Southeast Asia and Oceania that will test his stamina and health.
Despite the grueling itinerary, an energetic Francis joked and laughed his way through a packed first full day in Indonesia, meeting with outgoing President Joko Widodo and other Indonesian officials at the presidential palace and then greeting Catholic priests, nuns and seminarians at Jakarta’s main cathedral in the afternoon.
Cannons boomed as Francis joined Widodo on the veranda of the palace along with President-elect Prabowo Subianto. A marching band, stiff-legged troops and children in traditional Indonesian dress welcomed the first pope to visit in 35 years.
In his remarks to officials, Francis compared Indonesia’s human diversity to the archipelago’s 17,000 islands. He said each one contributes something specific to form “a magnificent mosaic, in which each tile is an irreplaceable element in creating a great original and precious work.”
And yet, Francis warned that such diversity in a country with the world’s largest Muslim population can also become a source of conflict — an apparent reference to episodes of intolerance that have flared in recent years in Indonesia as well as a broader concern about conflicts raging around the world.
“This wise and delicate balance, between the multiplicity of cultures and different ideological visions, and the ideals that cement unity, must be continuously defended against imbalances,” Francis said. Political leaders, he said, had a particular role to play but he also assured Widodo of the Catholic Church’s commitment to increasing interreligious dialogue.
“This is indispensable for meeting common challenges, including that of countering extremism and intolerance, which through the distortion of religion attempt to impose their views by using deception and violence,” he said.
Regionally, the internal conflict in Myanmar has forced more than 700,000 Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh, where thousands have fled overcrowded, violent camps to countries including Indonesia. Farther afield, Indonesia has regularly condemned Israel’s war with the militant Hamas group in Gaza and Widodo thanked Francis for the Vatican’s support for Palestinian civilians.
“War will not benefit anyone, war will only bring suffering and misery to the common people,” Widodo said. “Therefore let us celebrate the differences that we have. Let us accept each other and strengthen tolerance to realize peace, to realize a better world for all humanity.”
Francis arrived in Jakarta on Tuesday to kick off the longest, farthest and most difficult trip of his pontificate, given his myriad health problems. At 87, he uses a wheelchair, has regular bouts of bronchitis and has had multiple surgeries for intestinal problems.
By the trip’s end on Sept. 13, Francis will have flown 32,814 kilometers (20,390 miles) and visited Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore — one of the longest papal trips ever in terms of days on the road and distances traveled.
Francis appeared in good form Wednesday, showing his trademark sense of humor even as he had to stand for long periods and had multiple transfers from his wheelchair to chairs and the car.
His dry wit never let up: To Widodo and Indonesian dignitaries, he praised Indonesia’s relatively high birthrate while lamenting that in the West, “some prefer a cat or a little dog.” To a private meeting with his fellow Jesuits he quipped at the end that “The police have come to take me away.” To priests and nuns he warned against greed, saying “the devil enters through your pockets.”
That said, Francis’ prepared remarks were shorter than usual in a possible bid to spare him the strain of speaking for long periods.
In the afternoon, Francis met with Indonesian clergy and nuns in Jakarta’s Our Lady of the Assumption Cathedral for his traditional pep talk to the local church.
Catholics make up just 3% of Indonesia’s population of 275 million, but the country is home to the world’s largest Catholic seminary and has long been a top source of priests and nuns for the Catholic Church.
Addressing the priests, nuns and lay church leaders, Francis continued the theme of encouraging greater fraternity among people of different faiths and cultures.
“This is important, because proclaiming the Gospel does not mean imposing our faith or placing it in opposition to that of others, but giving and sharing the joy of encountering Christ always with great respect and fraternal affection for everyone,” he said.
Sister Rina Rosalina was chosen to address the pope, and offered some constructive criticism of the inordinate amount of time it takes for the Vatican to approve Indonesian-language translations of his official texts.
“Holy Father, we are always trying to learn from you. Unfortunately, due to distance and language barriers, sometimes we have difficulties studying the documents issued from Rome,” she said, drawing knowing nods from the pope.
Outside the cathedral, several hundred well-wishers gathered to greet the pope, including at least one boy dressed as a tiny pope. They waved Indonesian and Holy See flags and children played traditional bamboo instruments.
The location of the cathedral is symbolically important for Indonesia’s push for interfaith and intercultural harmony — it is located across from the country’s main Istiqlal mosque and connected to it by an underground “Tunnel of Friendship,” which Francis is to visit on Thursday with the mosque’s grand imam.
While Francis wants to highlight Indonesia’s tradition of religious tolerance, the country’s image as a moderate Muslim nation has been undermined by flare-ups of intolerance. In 2021, a militant Islamic couple blew themselves up outside a packed Catholic cathedral on Indonesia’s Sulawesi island during a Palm Sunday Mass, injuring at least 20 people.
Amnesty International said it hoped Francis’ visit would encourage an end to acts of intolerance and discrimination against minority groups and truly promote a respect for religious freedom that is enshrined in the country’s constitution.
In a statement, Amnesty noted that from January 2021 to July 2024, there were at least 123 cases of intolerance, including rejection, closure or destruction of places of worship and physical attacks.
“The pope’s visit has an important role to play in encouraging Indonesia to end intolerance and discrimination against all minority groups,” said Usman Hamid, executive director of Amnesty International Indonesia.